Alex Orona


53 games reviewed
75.3 average score
80 median score
58.5% of games recommended
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6 / 10.0 - Metal Mind
Jul 3, 2024

That's not a good feeling. In a space where there's games like Hades or even classics like Enter the Gungeon, I can only recommend Metal Mind as a budget intro for people who want to poke at the genre and not dive in head first. Metal Mind might be better for players new to the genre, but the roguelike enthusiasts will likely need to find their fun elsewhere.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Hauntii
Jun 14, 2024

When reflecting on my time with Hauntii, I think about the music and the art, and less so on how it played. Hauntii is a breathtaking experience, but it just doesn't do enough with it. This game makes a compelling case for videogames as art, but it stops short when it comes to the actual mechanics.

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6.5 / 10.0 - OTXO
May 1, 2024

It really hits the classic Hotline Miami tropes. Kickass techno music that enhances the action? Check! Fast paced shooting and response action? Check! Limited but expressive pixel art? Check! Unfortunately, after that, it all comes to varying degrees of skill, to the point that progression can be entirely halted if you get on tilt. I personally had to step away from the game because the more frustrated I got the more time I wasted making stupid mistakes, and with OTXO, those are the ones you just can't make.

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Mar 5, 2024

I discovered a whole world of stories I will now be reading to my young child. So long Frog and Toad! In a world where the Bluey game was a disappointment, I think this may be my child's first video game that we play together, if only for more of the Moominkin world to explore. I came for the cozy game, but left with new parental gaming goals.

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9 / 10.0 - Balatro
Feb 19, 2024

Now, please, let me play my Balatro in peace. I got an idea for a sick flush strat that I want to try out. So I'll y'all later.

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5.5 / 10.0 - Bahnsen Knights
Feb 7, 2024

yet. I'll be keeping an eye on LCB Game Studios and Chorus Worldwide Games because Pixel Pulps is something I would be interested in, if fleshed out more. This just ain't it.

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6 / 10.0 - Born of Bread
Jan 22, 2024

There's something special here, buried amongst a lot of redundancy. Dial back some of the mechanics and forced humor–trim the fat (or crusts)–and this would be a definite recommendation. As it stands now, though, maybe wait for a Thousand-Year Door-inspired sequel.

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8 / 10.0 - Skater XL
Dec 13, 2023

It's more of a dream machine for those kids in empty parking lots, but it's not really a video game. Would I recommend Skater XL to most folks? Probably not, just like I wouldn't recommend my own mother to step on a skateboard. As a sandbox for skaters to hone their skills, however, it's second to none, with some Switch concessions, of course.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Thirsty Suitors
Dec 7, 2023

As well, the game is certainly visually impressive but lacks depth to its mechanics and character growth. I'm incredibly happy to see more cultural representation in games, but I wanted more from the story than what Thirsty Suitors was giving me. It's an outlandish take on the Scott Pilgrim story but lacks the same kind of fun.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Cocoon
Oct 2, 2023

The environmental details were beautifully hypnotic. Crafting such a fantastically curious world of psychedelic shapes and inorganic life is a feat of its own but with this combination as a full package, I can't recommend this game to enough people. It's greater than the sum of its parts and at the end of my time with Cocoon, my journey had felt meaningful.

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8 / 10.0 - Blasphemous 2
Aug 17, 2023

The customization is substantial and the story brings even more rich lore to this world. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cvstodia and plan on going back to 100% it, after I've had a bit of a break. Thank the miracle, this game rules.

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7 / 10.0 - Tiny Thor
Aug 4, 2023

These kinds of instances do more to point out the games' limitations instead of highlight them. Still, those fiending for a new throwback challenge have got your work cut out for you. I really enjoyed my time with the 30 some odd levels of Tiny Thor, but more so in spite of itself than because of it.

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Jul 12, 2023

Despite its bloat, the game boasts a short 20 or so hours to complete and in a world of 100-hour games, and there's something to be said about a short but sweet experience. When the game is going, it feels great to play and has a compelling story, if not overwhelming to get started. Regardless of its dark and gritty war torn world, Fuga Melodies of Steel 2 provides a little bit of hope in the tactical RPG space.

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6.5 / 10.0 - Blanc
Mar 27, 2023

Controlling one character per Joy-Con is an annoying experience I wouldn't suggest. The real stand out here is the soundtrack. I would put this soundtrack in the same tier as games like Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest. My biggest takeaway is that the Blanc soundtrack should be on everyone's playlists, even if the game itself shouldn't.

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5.5 / 10.0 - Session: Skate Sim
Mar 9, 2023

Physics adjustments on the fly, animation adjustments, and massive maps. In an attempt to include this fully featured PC game on the Switch there had to be concessions and we see that in both visuals and how it plays. It's a miracle that the game runs at all, but just because you can port it, doesn't mean you should.

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7 / 10.0 - RE:CALL
Feb 14, 2023

At the end of the day, RE:CALL is a sleek solo-dev indie title that provides a new history-rewriting game mechanic. Each puzzle acts as its own bite-sized puzzle box for you to analyze and explore while the story provides a lot of fascinating noir-themed goodness. It does swing and miss at a sentimental secondary story, but that doesn't prevent this game from being a refreshing new indie I'd recommend anyone to try.

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Nov 30, 2022

When compared to the original Alan Wake, though, the Switch port is absolutely comparable. There's similar gameplay and visual treatment that we'd seen back in 2010, which isn't a bad thing, though you may not want to revisit it too often. Porting an Xbox 360 game to the Nintendo Switch isn't necessarily a big feat, but at the end of the day, at least we now have another fine way to play this fantastic game.

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Oct 31, 2022

The soundtrack blasts your ears with grimy hype up beats that rocks the combat even more than it does on its own. There's a very obvious issue with a bland story that puts a halt to the game but there's a lot to enjoy here. Midnight Fight Express is a fantastic game that plays great, sounds fantastic, if only it would get out of its own way with the story.

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8 / 10.0 - Temtem
Oct 10, 2022

It's easy to write it off as a copy-pasted clone, but the additional features of co-op battles, deep synergy combat mechanics, and rich endgame content culminate in a real diamond in the rough for those finding the competitors lacking. The main story content can be rote but for those hardcore fans wanting something deeper, Temtem may be what you're looking for. Temtem is both better and worse than the opposition, and I think that's okay.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Lost in Play
Sep 7, 2022

It grabs and keeps your attention the entire time, making this game a joy to finish. It may lack a depth in its mechanics but makes up for its seamless animation and catchy musical score. It's a fantastic freshman offering from indie dev Happy Juice Games and promises a bright future of things to come.

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